Champion Rules

Chapter 244: The Shadow Reappears (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Paul Pierce continued to try to find excuses for his pride even after the game.

He told the media:
"There's nothing funny about it, because I'm not the only one in the league who gets lost against Lynch's defense. When the Detroit Pistons play in New York, look at Melo's or LBJ's stats, and you'll understand what I mean."

When one person is abused by another, that's called being weak.

When a group of people are brutally abused by another person, that's called "defeat with honor."

Before Russell Westbrook completely transformed, Lynch was the league's most fearsome star killer.

Would anyone feel ashamed for not being able to lead Westbrook to victory?

Obviously not.

Because no one in the entire league can carry him.

Therefore, if no one can beat Lin Qi, then losing to him is not a shameful thing.

Even Paul Pierce mentioned the Knicks vs. Pistons game, which was attracting more attention than the US presidential election.

In the following days, after the test against the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks defeated several insignificant opponents.

Before and after every game, reporters are always focused on the Detroit Pistons vs. the New York Knicks.

Meanwhile, the pace of labor-management negotiations accelerated after 2010.

The two sides held a second round of negotiations. In addition to reducing the percentage of player revenue shared by the teams, the team owners also hoped to introduce a hard salary cap to balance the strength between the teams.

During the second negotiation, Billy Hunter came to a profound understanding of the full meaning of the saying, "Gold always shines."

LeBron James may have faded from the spotlight on the basketball court.

But in labor negotiations, his name is absolutely irresistible!

When adjusting profit-sharing ratios, the team owner's best weapon was LeBron James.

When discussing the hard salary cap today, the team owner's best weapon is still LeBron James!
Daniel Gilbert's opening remarks were heavily influenced by LeBron James:
"If we continue with the soft salary cap, every team willing to pay the luxury tax can freely assemble an All-Star roster. LeBron James is a beneficiary of this system, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are a microcosm of the tragic fate of small-market teams under the soft salary cap!"

Billy Hunter even wanted to stand up and applaud the touching and special relationship between Daniel Gilbert and LeBron James.

Although LBJ has transferred and left the Cavaliers, but...
He will always be the Cavaliers' best player!

Most NBA players are responsible older brothers because no matter how tired they are, they never let their younger brothers down.

This is the first time Billy Hunter has witnessed a good player not letting down his former owner even after leaving the team.

LeBron James' loyalty has reached another level.

Throughout the negotiation process, the investors remained quite tough.

Billy Hunter had had enough of the menacing looks on the team owners' faces.

I'm fed up with them using LeBron James as a weapon to attack the labor team.

Do these bastards really care about what LBJ did? No, they're just using it as an excuse.

But this is an excuse that can be exposed.

If it turns out that LBJ cannot succeed by forming super teams at his peak, the labor side will at least quiet down a bit in this regard.

Billy Hunter finds it hard to imagine how excited small-market owners, led by Daniel Gilbert, would be if the Pistons won the championship.

They could overturn the negotiating table.

Billy Hunter was furious after the negotiations ended.

Since he happened to be in New York, he decided to go to the Knicks vs. Pistons game to watch it live.

He believes that the new basketball god will prove that there are no shortcuts in the world of competitive sports.

This trend is absolutely impossible to start in the league.

Amidst the eager anticipation of fans worldwide.

On January 16, the Knicks played their 40th game of the season.

The epic rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks enters its third battle.

LeBron James stepped off the bus, head held high and chest out.

This was the first time in his career that he had felt so confident in New York.

His indifferent expression made it seem as if he had a 25-1 record against Lynch.

LeBron James is looking forward to tonight.

He believed this was the battle that would solidify his position within the team.

Before the season started, Carmelo Anthony emphasized in a meeting that this team should be united as one.

No one should be greedy for data, obsessed with personal honors, or forget the supreme status and halo they once held within the team.

LeBron James agreed to all of this without hesitation; for him at that time, victory was indeed the most important thing.

But now, with the Detroit Pistons achieving an excellent regular season record, and with him finally breaking the Lynch curse and enjoying the thrill of defeating the strongest player, things have changed.

LeBron James has also started thinking about other things.

He aspires to be the true master of this team.

Simply put, if someone on this team is going to win MVP, he wants to be the one to win MVP.

If someone on this team is going to win the Finals MVP, he wants to be the only one who is qualified to win it.

But he was a latecomer after all, and even though Carmelo Anthony didn't care about power, the team was still deeply marked by his influence.

Therefore, LBJ needs to find a way to take control of the situation.

He has to rebel.

Anyone who has ever rebelled knows that rebellion requires patience and meticulous work; one must pay attention to details.

If things are rushed, success may be lost.

Therefore, he will not directly express his thoughts or make demands.

He needs to gradually take control of the team.

Tonight, if Lynch really does take on the primary defense against Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James believes he can dominate the game.

At that time, everyone will gradually come to the view that "LeBron is the true owner of this team".

Upon entering the locker room, the Pistons players changed into their jerseys and formed circles like gladiators preparing for battle.

Carmelo Anthony clapped his hands forcefully, the crisp sound of his knuckles striking each other like a war drum.
"Listen up, guys, there's no such thing as an undefeated home court in NBA history! Tonight, we're going to crush the pride of New Yorkers into the cracks of Madison Square Garden!"

A primal fighting spirit roared through the locker room. This Detroit team, which had undergone a major reshuffle, still had the iron-blooded gears of its soul meshing and turning perfectly.

Of the entire team, only one person's thoughts were wandering elsewhere.

He peered through the wall, his gaze drifting out of focus, towards a distant place unknown to anyone.

Carmelo Anthony walked over to the man and bumped fists with him.

"LeBron, relax. The curse is no longer for you. You've broken it."

LeBron James slowly shook his head, his gaze finally focusing: "Nomelo, I didn't break the curse, we broke the curse. I've always emphasized that a team victory can never be attributed to an individual."

Carmelo Anthony's heart was silently struck by this response.

Looking at this superstar who always puts the team first, a great sense of respect welled up in my heart.

LeBron James is perhaps the most misunderstood great in the entire basketball world!

Why do people hate him?
He's clearly a perfect and adorable teammate!

On the other side, Ron Artest stood up immediately after changing his clothes and told everyone, "I'm going to warm up first."

Steve Nash immediately suggested that Ron Artest should be given more shot attempts today.

Because he might have excellent touch.

But Ron Artest didn't leave the locker room after getting up. Instead, he went to a sandbag in the locker room and stretched his body.

Don't ask why the Knicks' locker room has sandbags; the answer is that the people of Queens here are very friendly with the American flag.

His teammates were completely bewildered, their eyes fixed on him.

Immediately afterwards, the sandbags made a muffled "thump thump" sound.

Ron Artest was just like a center practicing his shooting touch before a game, repeatedly hooking with both hands under the basket and then slamming his elbows left and right!
Steve Nash's Adam's apple bobbed: "This is what he meant by warming up?"

Lynch laughed instead: "Opportunity always favors the prepared, Steve."

Half an hour later, all the players from both sides came onto the field to warm up.

The moment LeBron James stepped onto the court, Madison Square Garden was filled with boos.

Billy Hunter joined the fans who were booing at the scene.

Tonight, Madison Square Garden was once again filled with stars.

Detroit's well-known rapper Eminem was also present.

Although he once said that he did not have a specific team in the NBA, he simply appreciated the high level of competition.

It's not hard to see that he still favors his hometown team, the Pistons, tonight, because he's wearing a dark blue hat in the Pistons' colors.

Eminem stood up, ready to give LeBron James a high-five on the sidelines, offering some encouragement amidst the boos.

But LeBron James made a crown-wearing gesture in front of Knicks fans and the championship banners hanging over Madison Square Garden.

Seeing this, Eminem silently stopped and returned to his seat.

A high five?

He couldn't possibly have that kind of nerve!
It's like seeing a fellow villager suddenly squatting in the middle of the road to poop. You can't just go up to him and shout, "We're from the same hometown!"

Eminem didn't understand where LeBron James got his crown from.

Why does he always suddenly become abstract without any warning?
The game started quickly, and the Pistons' starting lineup was no different from the beginning of the season, with four stars plus Ben Wallace.

The Knicks, on the other hand, kept their January roster, pairing Ron Artest and Lynch at the forward position.

Tyson Chandler won the first possession for the Knicks, but on the first possession, Lynch was double-teamed by Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

Like all previous teams, the Detroit Pistons opted to give Ron Artest a few possessions to start.

Meanwhile, Richard Hamilton had already identified the passing lane. So Lynch didn't pass the ball to Artest, but instead gave it to Steve Nash, who was making an off-the-ball run.

Nash received the ball and shot, but Deron Williams' interference was very timely.

"Boom!"

LeBron James smiled broadly even after missing a shot.

But the next second, Ron Artest had already walked to the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound, and leaned on Ben Wallace for a powerful layup!
This layup attempt was extremely ugly; it looked like the ball was carelessly tossed towards the basket while the movement was distorted.

But the basketball somehow made a layup, giving the New York Knicks the lead!
Ron Artest pounded his chest and roared, completely igniting the atmosphere in the arena.

On the sidelines, Pistons head coach Lionel Hollins roared, "Protect the rebounds, LeBron! What are you laughing at?!"

LBJ's smile disappeared, but it quickly reappeared on his face.

As the Pistons crossed half-court to prepare for their attack, LeBron James discovered that Lynch was indeed guarding Carmelo Anthony.

This means that LeBron James has finally been freed from Lynch's hell!

Without hesitation, he leaned against Ron Artest and raised his hand to ask for the ball.

He knew this was his chance to increase his influence within the team, and he knew he had to make himself the team leader.

No basketball star in the world wants to be Scottie Pippen!

Artest immediately lashed out with his elbow, slamming it into Detroit No. 6.

That moment was the closest LeBron James ever came to Michael Jordan.

He felt like his ribs were about to break like Michael Jackson's.

Ron Artest's vigorous warm-up definitely paid off!
But LBJ is, after all, a beastly forward with an inhuman physique, and he immediately retaliated, pushing past Ron Artest to gain a small opening to receive the ball.

Deron Williams passed the ball to LBJ, who caught it steadily and then turned and drove to the basket.

Ron Artest immediately adjusted his stance and positioned himself in front of and to the side of LBJ.

LeBron James could still watch him move forward, but he couldn't gain any speed at all.

Ron Artest is one of the few players in the league who can make LBJ struggle physically.

But Detroit's number 6 still drove to the basket, collected the ball, and prepared to forcefully attack the rim.

But the moment he caught the ball, Ron Artest's nimble and powerful hands slicing it away with a "bang".

LBJ reacted quickly, immediately pushing aside Artest to grab the basketball.

His fingers touched the ball first, but instead of hooking it back, he poked it out of bounds.

Seeing this, LeBron James immediately jumped up, leaping out of bounds, trying to save the ball in mid-air.

However, LeBron James had absolutely no chance of passing the ball in the air.

Because Ron Artest had somehow managed to completely shield LBJ from view!

LeBron James can't pause time in mid-air; he has to make decisions in fractions of a second.

So, LBJ slammed the ball hard into Ron Artest's head!
He could both vent his anger and ensure the Pistons maintained possession of the ball.

The basketball slammed into Ron Artest's orange-haired head like a cannonball, but instead of bouncing out of bounds as he expected, it landed inside the baseline.

Artest, who had just been hit and was feeling dizzy, landed without hesitation and sprang out like a spring, flicking the basketball that was about to go out of bounds back into play!

Ron Artest did everything he could to prevent the chosen one from scoring easily at Madison Square Garden!
Steve Nash retrieved the basketball and quickly launched a counterattack.

After dribbling a few steps, he made a long pass to his old teammate Raja Bell, who easily scored a layup.

4 is better than 0!

The stands erupted in cheers as the fans at Madison Square Garden chanted their invincible anthem!

Ron Artest staggered to his feet, rubbing his still slightly dizzy head.

Getting hit hard by a basketball is no fun; it feels like taking a heavy punch.

He shook his head violently, dragging his slightly unsteady steps, and immediately clung to LeBron James again, then told him in a mocking tone:

"LeBron, you won't achieve any form of success here!"

Lynch also leaned close to Carmelo Anthony, looking relaxed: "Don't tell me you're expecting LeBron to make a breakthrough at the power forward position."

Carmelo Anthony retorted with the same words: "Don't tell me you expect an idiot like Ron to guard the power forward position for you. Just so you know, I beat him to a championship before you let him win one. I took down that bastard in my freshman year. He's nothing special!"

The game continued, and LeBron James set a screen for Deron Williams, but instead of making a solid screen, he eagerly drove to the basket.

Today, LBJ isn't here to play a role player, so he seemed a bit impatient on offense.

Deron Williams was about to pass to LBJ, who was rolling, but Ron Artest precisely cut off the dangerous connection.

Seeing that a layup was unlikely, LeBron James quickly turned and ran to the three-point line to receive the ball and took a shot!
Artest's defense was relentless, giving him almost no breathing room.

Although those huge hands didn't block the ball, they completely sealed off LBJ's shooting space.

This contested shot missed without any doubt, and the sound of the ball hitting the rim shattered LeBron James's hopes.

"Damn it!" LBJ's emotions began to fluctuate, and he cursed loudly.

The problem he faced was actually the same as that of Pau Gasol before him—neither of them were able to gain the expected advantage against Ron Artest.

This is absolutely a very emotionally devastating thing.

People don't necessarily break down like this when Lynch locks them up.

Because they had all anticipated what they were going to suffer.

But LeBron James's expectation for Ron Artest is that he can easily handle him.

He's getting old, and his peak is over.

Like Ben Wallace, his glory faded with the end of the Dark Defense era.

Therefore, when LeBron James missed twice over Ron Artest, the huge sense of disappointment made him very unhappy.

Ron Artest continued to add fuel to the fire:

"LeBron, if you want to take a shortcut, why don't you just join Lynch? There's nothing shameful about it; you already made enough of a fool of yourself by joining the Pistons."

"Shut up, play quietly, you bastard!"

Ron Artest grinned, his eyes burning with an almost maniacal fighting spirit: "No one can shut me up unless I'm dead!"

In the following rounds, LeBron James remained scoreless.

He either misses a shot or is forced to pass the ball out under tight defense.

Of course, this is not solely due to Ron Artest's efforts.

Tyson Chandler's timely rim protection was also one of the reasons why LBJ struggled to keep up.

But as the primary defender, Artest deserves the most credit.

Four minutes into the game, LBJ still hadn't scored, going 0-for-3 from the field.

Deron Williams remains the Pistons' leading scorer.

In the previous two Pistons vs. Knicks games, Deron Williams was also the best performing Pistons player.

Although Raja Bell's defense was decent, it wasn't quite at the level of Lynch or Artest, which gave Deron Williams a chance to shine.

Deron Williams felt exhausted when he once again had to use a slow, deflection-free crossover that left his knees aching to get past Raja Bell and score.

I chose to come to Detroit because of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

He thought these two guys would make victory easier.

Now, I've become the one who benefits!
At this point, the Pistons were still down by 4 points.

In the next possession, Lynch missed a fadeaway jumper under pressure from both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, giving the Pistons a chance to close the gap.

Ben Wallace managed to poke the rebound out of bounds beyond the three-point line, and Deron Williams shoved aside Nash, who was trying to contest the rebound, grabbed the ball, and sped off!
Deron Williams, seeing the basket getting closer and closer, actually slammed the ball directly onto the backboard.

Deron Williams has a very strong desire to perform. The root of his conflict with Jerry Sloan is that the veteran coach Sloan does not allow him to make sharp changes of direction or dunk, which leads to a series of conflicts.

After arriving in Detroit, his desire to perform was fully unleashed. Whether it was a change of direction without slowing down or a fancy dunk, the frequency of his performances increased significantly.

At this moment, he was ready to throw himself in and score!
Although Deron Williams is not tall, he has excellent athletic ability.

He caught the basketball steadily in mid-air after it bounced off the backboard, and just as he was about to dunk it, he felt a pair of large hands press the ball down.

At the same time, a powerful impact slammed into his torso, instantly disrupting his balance!
He subconsciously thought that Lin Qi had chased him.

But upon closer inspection, the skin tone of those hands and the tattoos on their forearms...
and many more.

Why LBJ?!
LeBron James was desperate to score; he saw tonight as a game to establish his position on the team, but he couldn't get the first points.

So even though Deron Williams was already 1 against 0, he was still sprinting at full speed, hoping that Deron would pass him the ball so that he could finish the game.

LBJ will never remain indifferent to any fast break opportunity.

Seeing Deron throw the ball toward the backboard, LBJ thought Deron was going to do an alley-oop with him.

By the time he jumped for the ball, it was too late.

Although LeBron James immediately released his grip in mid-air, the sudden collision and interference had completely disrupted Deron's balance and rhythm.

Thus, in this absurd scene of "one of their own defeating another," Deron Williams' seemingly inevitable dunk ultimately bounced off the rim and flew away!
Lynch chased back aggressively, got the basketball, and then quickly launched a counterattack.

While Carmelo Anthony was still in shock from the moment of his mental breakdown, Lynch, who had run to the three-point line, suddenly stopped, bent his knees, and shot.

"brush!"

The basketball goes in, and the New York Knicks lead by 7 points!
The floor of Madison Square Garden was shaking, and LeBron James felt a suffocating dark shadow looming over him.

It's Lynch.

Number 20 stared straight at him, slowly and forcefully waving a finger in front of his eyes.

"The reign never ended, LeBron," Lynch's voice was deep and cold, each word like a hammer blow to his opponent, "never fucking ended!"

LeBron James felt the shadow beneath his feet come alive in an instant, transforming into a tangible cage.

Once again, he was firmly imprisoned in place.

(End of this chapter)